What do woodpeckers on a tree mean?

[CritterHill]

We have a large mature tree (really close to the house) that I have noticed a seemingly unending stream of woodpeckers pecking at.

I know woodpeckers mean bugs, but does it also necessarily mean the tree is not long for this world? Or is it normal?

The last couple years of my life, I have been in a bit of a permanent panic state, so I think this is the first year I have actually started paying attention to the world outside my window. So I can't tell you if this is a new development or not (and we've only been in this house about 4 years).

 

[beefy]

what kind of tree? woodpeckers mean bugs.

 

[CritterHill]

what kind of tree? woodpeckers mean bugs.

Tulip Poplar. It is leafing now and looking pretty healthy, but there are a lot of woodpeckers pecking around on it...

 

[patandchickens]

IME, not *necessarily* a problem. Especially if you do not notice them actually pecking holes. We get a buncha woodpeckers this time of year that as near as I can tell are mostly eating ladybugs out of bark crevices rather than actually prospecting for boring beetle larvae.

I can certianly understand your worry, though, be a shame to lose a tulip poplar, they're cool trees.

Pat

 

[beefy]

i wouldnt worry about it, tulip poplars are pretty resilient unless they get blown over by wind or blown up by lightning.

 

[CritterHill]

Alright, I won't go into full blown panic mode yet. I'll just keep an eye out for actual holes.

As my husband likes to say to me "If you are worrying about *this* your life must be going pretty good." (not having any real issues to worry about that is)

Thanks.

 

[MeanQueenNadine]

"Worry is the misuse of an imagination." - something I remind my father about...

My weeping willow in the backyard is not long for this world & the local woodpecker population prefer the telephone poles....my willow is loosing its bark so thats how I know, if you don't see anything that stands out as being "wrong" I think your tree should be fine...

 

[CritterHill]

be a shame to lose a tulip poplar, they're cool trees.

They do look cool, but they drop all those poky seed things that stick in the bottom of your feet when you go out barefoot. We have a wonderful carpet of moss in the back yard that I would LOVE to run barefoot across, except for the #$%@ tulip poplar seed caltrops!

It seems like all we have are tulip poplars and sassafras trees.

Despite a forest full of trees, my husband has been planting mimosas like crazy (oh and dogwoods since he accidentally cut down a mature flowering dogwood right on the edge of our yard 2 years ago - he is still doing penance for that)

My kingdom for a maple?

 

[whatnow?]

i wouldnt worry about it, tulip poplars are pretty resilient unless they get blown over by wind or blown up by lightning.

Like this (background in the photo)

Can you tell if the woodpeckers are feeding or just drumming? On a positive note, there may be a lot of drumming to get the girls' attention.

Both of the tulip trees that I lost looked healthy, but I knew that the one that started the avalanche of trees in my yard was probably hiding something because it was weeping/splitting at a vee. O.K.-maybe it didn't look THAT healthy. After it fell, we could see the 6-inch diameter hollow that reached around 8 feet below the vee. This helped explain the woodpecker activity.

 

[Nifty]

This is why I love this forum! I've had this same question for about 3 years but was either never around anyone I could ask when I remembered, or couldn't remember when someone was around to ask.

Thanks to everyone for your posts!